UN officials laud PHL peacekeeping role; Palace still considering Golan pullout

As Malacañang considered a proposed pullout of Filipino peacekeepers from the Golan Heights, United Nations officials lauded the Philippines for its continued role in peacekeeping duties.

The Department of Foreign Affairs said Sunday night that Lt. Gen. Babacar Gaye, Military Adviser of the UN Secretary General for Peacekeeping Operations, and Col. Sergio Filippi, Chief of Current Military Operations of the UN Department of Peacekeeping Operations (UN DPKO), arrived in the Philippines last June 5 to discuss the country's participation in peacekeeping operations.

“I thank the Philippines for continuing to honor its commitment to peacekeeping. We always work towards improving relations between the UN DPKO and troop-contributing countries. We therefore count this opportunity to meet with the Philippines as an extremely important one,” Gaye said.

Gaye and Filippi were in the Philippines to speak at a meeting of the National Council for UN Peace Operations (NCUNPO), a body tasked to oversee the country’s participation in UN peacekeeping efforts. It is composed of the DFA, the Department of National Defense and the Department of Interior and Local Government.

For his part, DFA Assistant Secretary Jesus Domingo of the Office of United Nations and other International Organizations thanked the UN DPKO for its efforts in securing the release of Filipino peacekeepers in the Golan Heights.

Armed groups had detained Filipino peacekeepers from May 6 to 9, and May 7 to 12.

Should we stay or should we go

Meanwhile, deputy presidential spokesperson Abigail Valte said on government-run dzRB radio, “The recommendation to pull out the contingent from the Philippines is under study.”,

Earlier, Department of Foreign Affairs spokesperson Raul Hernandez expalined that the “deteriorating” situation in Syria placed some 300 Filipino peacekeepers in the Golan Heights at risk.

Last week, a Filipino peacekeeper was wounded in the Golan Heights when a wayward, indirect fire shell landed at a United Nations camp. The Filipino is now in stable condition.

Following the second kidnapping of Philippine troops in the area, the DFA  had recommended to President Benigno Aquino III that the 300 Filipino peacekeepers be withdrawn. — DVM, GMA News

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